Lunar Ellipse
by alan713ch
Summary: A novelization of Teen Wolf's 3x22 Episode "Lunar Ellipse". Follows most of what was shown in the show as well as some extra bits added for narrative purposes. Outcomes of the battles may be different from the televised version. Rated T for language. Usual disclaimer - I don't own anything related to Teen Wolf. NOW completed and with some author's notes.
1. Prologue

They all woke up at the same time. Cold, wet, alive, dead, they didn't know. They were in a large white room, with white ceilings and white floors, with white lights and white walls and in the center what they were looking for.

The Nemeton.

Right there. Looking innocent, a stump of an ancient oak with moss on its sides and dry leaves on its top. Not the blood thirst sanctuary of an evil they were trying to stop.

Scott was the first to touch it, the first to feed it. The first to remember. He remembered that night, when he and Stiles had wandered off to the woods. He saw himself looking for his inhaler, finding Laura Hale's body, receiving Peter's gift.

His gift? Hadn't he called it a curse back then?

Stiles saw himself scrambling around in the woods, protecting Scott from his own father. Taking his role as best friend up to a new lever - or maybe just doing the usual.

When had putting his life in danger become the usual?

Allison met her mother's eyes once more, talking to her, hating being the new girl, in a new house, in a new school, in a new town. Hating having this conversation all over again. About his dad coming home late again. And suddenly the boy they almost ran over that night, and how he forced her mother to go and see that he was alright. The boy they never found. Scott.

Had it always been about protecting everyone else from her family?

And they saw it. Witnessing their trial. Where they were proving they were the guardians to feed it. To give it their power. And the Nemeton saw the night they became the guardians of Beacon Hills. When they took the role of the Hale family and started protecting the land against the forces that were drawn to it. The last of the Hales, who had let the fire consume his soul. The broken boy, and the monster he had managed to control. And how they were willing to die instead of their parents, their guardians, in an attempt to try and stop the demon that had corrupted it in order to claim justice. No, not justice.

The Nemeton accepted their sacrifice. A true sacrifice, volunteered. To give it back its purpose: a sanctuary. To help. To protect.

To stop the demon from claiming revenge. To stop her from killing the innocents and feeding their lives into the roots of this old oak. For a second alone the Nemeton felt whole again, and that was all it needed to be alive again. To act as it has always intended: as a beacon of life, not as an instrument of death.

So he gave them their lives in return. So they could go and be the guardians they were.

And in one corridor, where she had been sitting, crying, mourning the deaths of her best friend, the boy that used to adore her, and the only one who had the power to protect her, Lydia Martin began to scream.


	2. I - Stiles

Stiles woke up and immediately hit his head against something cold. He tried to rub his hand and barely managed to move it before he encountered the cold again. He forced himself to stop reeling about the Nemeton and tried to find out where he was. Which turned out to be a little metal box. Before the claustrophobia kicked in he realized he was in one of the cold storage boxes in the morgue, which meant he was in the hospital, which meant that Deaton and Lydia and Isaac thought of them dead.

He started screaming and trashing and pounding and losing his breath and the walls were enclosing and he banged and banged and screamed and yelled and cried and choked until someone opened the door and suddenly Scott was there and Stiles was crying and trying to get out and falling and not caring about it but only about getting out of that damned box. Allison helped him to his feet and he saw what Scott had to do in order to get out.

The nurse came in and dropped her clipboard in surprise.

-She was right. The girl was right.

-Who?

-What's going on? Why are we in the morgue?

-You were dead. We declared you dead almost 12 hours ago.

They couldn't believe it. Dead? How? She was probably wrong, they were just out for a few minutes, surely their friends wouldn't let them die. She was already fussing over them, calling for help, getting them into stretchers and taking their vitals, and suddenly Lydia was there too, hugging Allison, hugging Scott, hugging him. Isaac and Deaton had to get her so the doctors could do their job. But they didn't have time, they needed to get out of there so they could go to the Nemeton and remove their parents now that they weren't needed.

Of course they couldn't leave.

First, all the doctors in the hospital were baffled at their recovery. They were declared dead in the morning, after Deaton had called 911 because they hadn't been able to bring them back. The official version was that they had just found them in the river near the Pet Clinic, but they were not able to explain why they were in minimal clothes swimming in a river close to freezing temperatures. Then there was the matter that none of them had a guardian they could call to discharge them, and when Deaton tried to take responsibility he faced a wall of bureaucracy. Last, but not least, the FBI decided that they were to remain in the hospital until they were questioned. Apparently, one Agent McCall had decided that he needed them to answer a few questions about the disappearing of their parents. Scott's mom, Allison's dad, his own dad.

Agent McCall entered the room where they were being held after being declared very much alive and not dead, and with one look he made Isaac leave the room. Deaton was trying to get them out of there, but since he was not his guardian nor any sort of relation to any of them, the law was favoring the FBI.

-Hello boys, Allison.

-Rafael.

It was Scott who had said the name, spewing vitriol with every movement of his mouth.

-Wow Scott, is that how you are calling me now?

-Why would I call you anything else?

-My, because I am your father.

-No, you are not. You stopped being my father when you stopped returning my calls and stopped visiting. I only have one fatherly figure and that would be Sheriff Stilinski.

Stiles couldn't help but feel proud of his best friend. For a moment they were the kids that had hidden in the woods for a day and a night when Scott's dad had finally told him that he would not see him again for a long time, and how they vowed to be together no matter what happened. And here they were, no matter what.  
He could feel Allison's stare, looking for an explanation, but this was not the time nor the place.

-Is that so? Then where is he? Ah, yes, he's missing, just like your mom and this girl's father. And by what I've gathered from my conversations around town, particularly Stiles over here, I am pretty sure you know and not just that, but you know more than you are letting me know.

Scott's face was not saying "Why did you betray us?". Scott's face was saying "What the hell did your mouth do?".

-Ah, I can see I am not mistaken. Careful, boys, your body language is betraying you.

Stiles felt the wolf raising in Scott. He wanted to kick him, to slap him, to make sure he would not make a fatal mistake by revealing to the FBI that werewolves were real. Allison came to the rescue.

-Excuse me, sir?

-Agent McCall, Allison.

-Agent, you can't keep us here. Not without a warrant and not without a legal guardian's presence that can protect us. If our guardians are not present at least we should have a lawyer present to protect our rights.

-Oh, but I am not holding you here, Allison. It's the hospital, since you haven't got any wardens to discharge you, and I just happen to be here willing to have a little chat with you guys. After all, I'm a good guy here, and all I want is to find your parents and it is in your best interest if you talk to me.

Stiles could feel his own anger raising. There it was, the smugness, the anger, the cockiness McCall used to display before. Back when he lived in Beacon Hills. Back when he used to beat Scott.

-That's not true.

The kids almost jumped when they saw Coach - their - coach standing in the door with a duffel.

-Bobby?

-Rafael. Long time no see.

-What are you doing here?

-Getting these kids out of here. The hospital had deemed them good enough to discharge them and I am an acting guardian when their parents are not available. Little piece of paper they sign when they join the team, and I have to say Rafael, Melissa's son is a mean lacrosse captain. Stiles is Stiles, but he's part of the team.

-And what does Allison play?

-Cross country. Get changed, kids, we are out of here. Rafael, if you mind giving them privacy.

Rafael just looked back at them and conceded defeat. Stiles immediately wanted to ask what was going on but Coach Finstock silenced him with a look. It wasn't until they were walking down the corridor in their school sweats that Scott dared to say something.

-Coach? How do you know...?

-Rafael? Well, McCall, lemme put it this way. Everybody in town is surprised that you turned out to be a very good kid. It's been ages that we've wanted to give Melissa the Parent of the Century award, but then you had to go and be a screw up last year. Well, you are definitely looking up now, so she might still get it.

-Parent of the Century?

-It's obvious you got all the good genes from her, and hopefully just the misaligned jaw from him.

-Why does everybody say that I've got a misaligned jaw?

-Scott, you do. What's going on? Where's Lydia?

-That I don't know, Argent. He does.

He had brought them to the parking lot, where Deaton was waiting for them.

-I got them. Why do you need all of them? I thought only McCall was the werewolf.

-You know?

-Doesn't matter right now, Scott. They sacrificed themselves to the Nemeton, they are all connected to it now.

-You did WHAT? You sacrificed yourselves to the Nemeton? What was going through your heads? And you suggested it? Are you insane, Deaton?

They had never seen Coach lose it like he was at that moment. It seemed that he was seriously angry at them, at Deaton, and afraid of what they had done.

-Do you have any idea what you have done? What horrors will be coming to Beacon Hills because of your, your, your STUPIDITY!Please don't tell me it was the only option you had - you are a bloody werewolf McCall, you should've been able to detect your mother's scent.

-We didn't have time!

-Well, it's not like you have time now, is it? You lost twelve hours to its trial!

-OK STOP -Why is it always his responsibility to bring everybody down? Another questions Stiles filed under "Things to ask if you stay alive" along with "What the hell does Finstock mean?" and "He knew Scott's a werewolf?" - We have urgent matters to attend right now. First: we know where the Nemeton is, and if we are not mistaken, that's where our parents are. We need to go get them.

-Yes, but I need to go back to Deucalion. I made a deal with him, and he may be able to help in stopping the Darach long enough so you guys can rescue them.

-Are you insane?

-No, he's not. It's a decent enough strategy.

-Coach?

-Think of it as a LAX game, Stilinski. He'll distract the other team so you can assemble yourselves in the field.

-But we don't die in a LAX game!

-Now that's not the mentality I want to hear from a first line, Stilinski! You are supposed to give your BEST at every game!

-Coach, NOT NOW! Ow!

The cuff in his head was not pleasant.

-Fine. You go with Dead Destroyer of the Worlds. Allison, you and Isaac go and try to locate our parents, I'll go to the station and get help - it's a cellar and we may need help if it caves in.

-Why would it cave in?

Stiles realized he said that without thinking. He didn't know why he said it. He didn't know why he knew that there was a very distinct possibility that the cellar would cave in. He just knew.

-I don't know. I honestly don't know. Doesn't matter. Where's Lydia?

-With Ethan. He came for Lydia, asked her for help to stop Aiden from helping Kali kill Derek.

-What?


	3. II - Lydia

-What are we doing here, Ethan? What am I doing here?

She still didn't know why she had said yes, and got in the car with him. She knew where they were going - Derek's - and she knew why they were going there - Kali's promise - but she still didn't know why Ethan thought she should be there.

-I... He likes you, Lydia. Aiden.

-I know, we've been having sex for a while now.

-No, I mean, he really likes you.

-So? How would that stop him from killing Derek? With Kali there?

His face, usually blank, or angry, was showing pain. She had never seen him like that, and wondered for the first time if the twins were something more than killing machines for the Alpha Pack. Yes, she may have fornicated one of them, but she always thought of it as sex, no strings attached. After all she was not in love with Aiden.

-We... Lydia, we are not the bad guys.

-You're not. Is it the whole "Deucalion helped us understand our powers and we joined him out of respect"? I can see that. But I guess killing Boyd was not evil. Killing Erica was not evil. Threatening Danny was not evil.

-You heard?

-Yes, I did.

-I...

Ethan sighed. She just stared at the road in front of them. They were getting close.

-That's why I need you here. We... we are not killers. We need to be reminded of that. To me, thinking about Danny does it.

-And you hope that Aiden will think about me before he tries to kill Derek. I was there when you guys killed Boyd, remember?

-I... I'm sorry. I... yes, we are guilty. We should've said no. Kali was trying to make her point, and we obey her. We are weak.

-So I'm just a weakness then? A weakness in Aiden you intend to exploit?

Ethan didn't say anything. He couldn't say anything. She had won the round.

-Then, don't do it for him, or for us. Do it for Derek.

-Why are you so intent on saving Derek anyways? Wasn't your plan to use me and Danny against Scott and Derek?

-Because I'm tired! I'm tired of going around killing people! This is not who we are. This is not who I am.

He was crying, Lydia noticed, and doubt crept inside of her again. It reminded her of the assignment she did for World Politics, when they talked about child soldiers, who ended up so traumatized they could not even feel bad about their actions, and then at some point they would snap. If they truly were as young as her, maybe they truly had killed out of necessity. At first.

-And he's my brother. I can't let him continue in this path. I won't do it, and I won't let him do it. Please, Lydia, just... please

-And if he tries to kill me?

-I won't let him. I will defend you.

-And if Kali tries to kill me.

-I will probably die defending you, but at least you'll have the chance to run.

-And if Kali tries to kill Derek?

-I'll defend him.

He answered without hesitation. Game, set, match.

They got off the car and went up to Derek's loft. She knocked, and shouted her name so they would open the door. Derek was not happy to see Ethan, just like she wasn't happy to see Peter again, but they let them in, and the young Alpha explained himself. Surprisingly to her, they listened and Peter even agreed with him, saying that they all had to run before Kali got to the building. Derek opposed it, not because he wanted to face Kali but because he wanted to help Scott, mentioning how he had failed him as an Alpha and when Peter reminded him that Scott never truly took him as such, Peter clocked him and casually reminded him how it was all his fault.

They were not paying attention to her, so they never realized the moment she felt the creep down her spine. A chill going through her vertebrae. A shiver down her soul.

Standing on a graveyard.

-Hello Derek. Oh, look, a party! I hope you don't mind Aiden and I crash it, do you?

Kali was at the door, with Aiden behind. He had his menacing face on, but she saw a flicker of fear when he saw her. Ethan immediately stood between her and the rest of the werewolves. At least he was keeping his promise.

Peter went straight to her but she punched him with enough force to knock him unconscious. Without understanding why Lydia immediately ran to stay between Kali and Derek, as if her being a banshee would give her any power to stop the alpha from killing Derek. She didn't even like Derek that much, but at least she knew he was one of the good guys.

Well, Kali did stop. To laugh.

-Really, Derek? You have to hide behind a puny human? Is that how low you have fallen?

-I may be a human, but at least I understand when a crazy bitch is trying to kill a good guy.

-Excuse me?

-You heard me.

-Do you have any idea who you're talking to?

-Someone in a desperate need of a pedicure. I'd be happy to give you a referral.

Kali was about to slap her in the face, when a growl came from behind her. Aiden.

-Oh, really?

-Leave her alone.

-She's the one who decided to defend Derek.

-She's not the problem.

-Oh, did you fall in love with her? So soon? Was she really that good in bed? I mean, after all you were only supposed to use her to gather information on Scott.

-LEAVE HER ALONE!

In that moment, Jennifer Blake entered the room through the roof.


	4. III - Derek

He instinctively grabbed Lydia and tried to get out of harm's way. Before anybody could do anything, Jennifer had assessed the situation and with a flick of her hand a line of Mountain Ash appeared in the floor, trapping them. No - preventing them from interfering. At the moment, they were not her goal.

-Hi, Kali. Did you miss me?

-Julia.

Kali attacked first, using the claws in her hands and her feet, trying to reach Jennifer, but she would only have to move to avoid her. To dance with her. Aiden and Ethan were in the sidelines, circling them, trying to help, but it was obvious that the battle was between the two women. Warriors. A lover scorned and a wolf in heat, strike after strike, hit after hit, but it was all a game to Jennifer, and no less than a minute she was blasting Kali onto the pillar, destroying it.

Derek wanted to run. Honest to God he wanted to get out of there, but the ash was a circle, and he knew that no supernatural creature could break it. He just reached for Cora's hand and made sure nobody was in danger of a cross fire. Not even the waste of oxygen of his uncle.

Aiden immediately tried to hit her but it was even worse. Derek remembered how Scott had mentioned that they were the omegas of their pack before learning how to fuse themselves, and he realized that they were still the omegas of this pack. Even if they were all alphas they still had to follow the hierarchy, and they were still at the bottom. Kali could've swept the floor with either of them and Jennifer was just having fun for the sake of having fun.

-Oh, c'mon boys, is that the best you've got? I have heard that you were this sort of super wolf but all we have here is a pair of teenagers who can barely keep up? Tell me, Lydia, was Aiden this good? Because sweetie, you can do so much better.

Derek immediately went for Lydia's hand. He didn't know if she was too terrified to answer, or too offended and would snap back, but he needed to make sure she wouldn't do a mistake.

-Leave her OUT OF THIS!

Anger. Derek knew that kind of anger. Maybe he was not in love, maybe he was in love too much, but Aiden was not about to give Lydia up. And Ethan had promised to protect her, and was a man of his word.

The twins tore their shirts off and started their fusion process. Jennifer even stopped to watch, to admire their own magic. Derek couldn't help but wonder how two pairs of pants became one, but that was definitely not what was important. What was important was that the new creature had more power, more stamina, more endurance. And the dance resumed, but what had barely been a fling between two lovers became a full-fledged tango, a display of power and fierceness. When the Wolf would strike, Jennifer would actually be hurt, and Derek saw her heal from all her wounds one by one. Healers. But it was draining her, because no matter how powerful she was, she still had limits, and for a moment Derek had a little hope, that they would stop her and they will get out of this alive. Until she looked into the wolf's eyes with a smile and they stopped.

Innocence.

And she caressed its face and started kissing it, and they fell under her spell. And then she grabbed both ears and dug deep, and with blood in her hands and a kiss in her lips she started taking them apart, painfully, and its scream became two and its head was split right in the middle and its body was crackling with energy that was trying to keep them together and with a swift movement she finished the job and Aiden crashed crashed the wall and Ethan was stopped by the mountain ash barrier and they fell, defeated. And Jennifer hadn't even started.

Kali rose to her feet and attacked, but Derek had already seen Jennifer's face. It was over, the dance of wolves. It was time for the killing. And he knew that Kali knew as well, for all she could do was to look at Jennifer.

-That's right, Kali. Look at me. Look at my face.

-I don't care, Julia. You are dead to me. I killed you that day.

-Look at me! Look at what the Nemeton gave me!

Derek knew. Paige's face.

-Look at my power.

All the debris from her entrance had started floating, all the sharp edges directed towards Kali. An acrid smell filled the air, stemming from the little flowers that seemed to grow on the debris. Monkshood.

For a moment, it seemed that Kali feared her.

-Julia...

For a moment, Jennifer stopped and looked at her.

-Julia... I... I should've... I should've RIPPED YOUR HEAD OFF!

For a moment, Jennifer was sad, disappointed even. She finished her spell. The shards of glass and the sharpened rocks entered Kali's body, and the wolfsbane went into her bloodstream, preventing her from healing. She didn't even suffer that much, Derek would remember later, she just fell for what seemed an eternity until her body touched the floor, dead. Jennifer allowed herself to cry one tear, before turning to Lydia and Cora and himself, and he immediately tried to arrange them so he could protect them. She smiled at his naivete, and started walking. She hadn't realized Ethan had crawled to Aiden and they had fusioned again. But it was too late, they were too spent. When they tried to attach she didn't even had to look up to catch the wolf's neck and snap it in one clean move. The body split in the twins again and they were dead.

-Lydia

The girl was scared. And yet she raised her head and confronted her. From behind him, sure, but confronted her.

-What do you want from me?

-Oh, don't worry, I just want you to do what you do best. I want you to scream.


	5. IV - Scott

He really didn't want to do it. But he had made a deal, and he was still desperate. He parked the bike and got off in the edge of the woods. He felt the moonlight, trying to awaken the wolf in him. He thought of his mom, of Sheriff Stilinski. He could not leave them. He had to do it.

Deucalion was waiting for him a mile into the forest.

-Where are the others?

-They are occupying themselves with other... pursuits.

-So it's just you and me, then? Against her?

-I think you'll be surprised at what good team we make.

He wasn't so sure about that. He hadn't seen him fight, and while it was possible that Deucalion had been spying on him the fact that he was blind could qualify as a hindrance.

He's not always blind, Scott.

His hand went to his pocket. No, he shouldn't. He shouldn't give away anything.

-Nervous, Scott?

-Honestly? Yeah.

-Understandable. I'd take you for a fool if you weren't.

-What is she?

-What do you know? Oh, don't try to fool me, I know your friend Stiles did enough research to build a volume on her alone.

He told her what he knew. About the Darach, about the sacrifices. What he had deduced about the sacrifices, their purpose, her goal. And what she herself had told them, about how she was looking for justice.

-You are correct. A Darach or Dair is a corruption, an abomination. Druids are guides, supposed to tether us to our humanity so we wouldn't let the curse of Lycaon take completely over. A Darach is when the Druid has lost that humanity and lets darkness guide him or her in their quest. In this case, Julia Baccari didn't die when Kali was supposed to kill her and let vengeance become her goal. She was able to draw energy from a Nemeton where a Love Sacrifice had happened and that kept her alive, tethered to this world, and with a purpose in mind. From there, she just had to gather power so she could try and stop me. She'll fail, of course, but I have to admit, she didn't do anything half way.

-What are we doing here?

-The Nemeton is nearby. I am trying to make sure she doesn't come back to kill your mother. Blind I may be, but I have excellent hearing. Remember, Scott, if she hasn't finished her ritual she is still only a very good practitioner. She needs the full sacrifice to become the full Darach, which would definitely put us in an... interesting situation, if it were to happen.

Scott had to choke the truth in his throat. That he had already given her that sacrifice. That she was already a full Darach.

His cellphone rang. It was Isaac - he and Allison were already in the forest, looking for them. Isaac mentioned picking up a scent but Scott knew Allison felt drawn to the Nemeton just like he did, and he was sure the closer she was the stronger she felt that way. He knew Deucalion was listening - they had discussed how to communicate so he wouldn't have to lie.

-Interesting, Scott, does this mean that you have an alternative plan in hand?

-I've learned that you always have to have a plan B in hand. Today I knew your priority was not our parents, so even if I was here we would not go to them until you had defeated her, so I had my friends look for it based on their scent and the telluric currents under the forest. They finally picked up a scent, and if your hearing is as good as you are saying you should know that already.

-Ah, yes, I can hear them. Two sets of footsteps, one nimble and light, a girl, and one clumsy and yet agile, one of your pack?

Scott flinched. They were his friends, not his pack.

-See, Scott? I am not going after them. They are not what I want.

No, it's me what you want.

-What is a True Alpha?

-A rarity. Most packs have a natural succession line: when the Alpha is too weak to lead, the power is transferred to the one who is best to do so. If a wolf in a pack feels that the leader has gone off the path or wants to take power by himself, he can always kill the Alpha and claim his position. I assume that's the mode of succession you are most familiar with.

A true Alpha is when a pack is formed and someone raises up to be the leader. It doesn't have to be the smartest, the strongest or the fastest, although you would expect at least one of those qualities. No, they come later. The requirement for a true alpha is the will to take care of everybody. After all, an alpha is not just someone to lead you to battle, but someone to take care of you when you are wounded. It's the father figure, not the general, what makes an alpha what it is. When a True Alpha arises, his powers are beyond those of a usual alpha because he's earned them, not won them.

-An alpha has to take care?

-Of course. Why do you think I nursed Ethan and Aiden back to health when their own pack rejected them? Why do you think I put Ennis out of his misery? Why do you think I sought peace with the Argents first, and when they attacked not only my pack but every single pack that had convened to parlay I decided to take care of every pack and gather enough power to defeat them. You have to imagine my surprise when I found out a little omega teenager had managed to do what I couldn't - turn Gerard Argent's obsession with killing against himself.

-I was not an omega. I was not like that guy.

-Oh, but you were. You rejected your alpha - that immediately turned you into an omega, a werewolf adrift. But instead of wallowing in the loneliness you kept your human friends close, and they became your pack. Yes, Scott, your pack. Your family. It's a good thing - you have someone to take care of you, and in return you take care of them.

Scott nodded. He had finally understood. He finally understood why the Nemeton had accepted his sacrifice: because he was a guardian himself. Stiles', Allison's, Isaac's. Even his mom was part of his pack. It finally didn't feel like an insult to them. It felt like an honor.

-And now the question is, will you rise to become the Alpha you are meant to be, Scott? Are you willing to make the sacrifices you need to keep your pack?

He already had.

-Are you willing to kill if it becomes necessary?

He knew he had to. He knew someone was going to die - after all, he could hear Lydia scream.


	6. V - Stiles

-No, no no no no no no.

He was driving down to the station, but he didn't dare get close. There were several black cars. Those that are supposed to be completely inconspicuous but are basically screaming "FBI" when you see them. Of course the FBI would be at the station and now he could not come close without rising the suspicion of one stupid Agent McCall. If he walked in there he would not come out no matter how much did every single deputy liked him.

-What do I do, what do I do?

He was not going to panic again. He was tired of panicking. So he knew their parents were near the Nemeton, in a root cellar. He knew the root cellar would collapse, and from the look of it it would be due to the storm brewing in the distance. So that meant he needed something to prevent the collapse of a cellar that he had no idea how was structured or designed. And hopefully that something was either at his house or available at Home Depot.

He shifted into gear and drove the hell out of there.

He reached his house and immediately grabbed what he thought of. The aluminum bat his father had given him when he hadn't made first line in LAX and asked him if he wanted to try baseball. The sledgehammer that his father kept in the basement from those days he had modified the house to fit a nursery for the baby boy he was 17 years ago. The gun his father hid in the safe behind the portrait of Claudia Stilinski and had never given Stiles the code to open it, but he knew it was his mother's birthday. The ghost of a woman standing in the hallway looking at him and telling him to go when he stood looking at her with his mouth open.

Not a minute later when he was driving, she was in the passenger's seat, looking straight ahead.

-OH MY GOD! Mrs. Morrell?

-Keep driving, Stiles. Keep driving.

-What are you? Scott said they killed you!

-They did. I was trying to prevent him from joining Deucalion, trying to tell him that no matter how understanding Deucalion may be, he's already lost his humanity. He's let Lycaeon's curse take over him. He's the Demon Wolf.

-What? What? You were trying to prevent him from joining him? What? Why?

-Yes. Is it that hard to believe that I actually care for you?

-You are like the most cryptic person in town! Of course we couldn't trust you!

-And yet you trust my brother?

-Who? - realization hit his face - Deaton is your brother?

-Yes. I took our mother's name, he kept our father's.

-But why? What? How? Weren't you Deucalion's druid? Aren't you dead?

-Yes. I was Deucalion's druid. I was there when the Argents ambushed the conclave and Gerard blinded him. I was there trying to prevent him from becoming what he was becoming into, but he wouldn't listen to me. And he started reaping wolves from other packs, charming them, pushing their buttons, making them kill everybody in their packs, turning them into ravenous alphas motivated by survival and vengeance, and in order to unlock that bestiality in them he had them kill their emissaries. I ran. I came here to warn Alan, because I knew they would come for the last member of the Hale family and have him kill whatever wolves he had turned as well as his emissary. And as much as I knew I was going to die at Deucalion's hand I wanted my brother to live.

-You came to warn him?

They were still within city limits. It didn't matter, Stiles knew where to go and even inside the storm he knew how to navigate the area. It was almost as if he had a GPS map uploaded to his brain with one destination only.

-Yes. You should've seen my surprise when I found my brother being non-chalant to Derek and actually advising a little boy who had been bitten. Alan had known Scott for a while and had seen his potential, while all I saw was a hormonal teenager who would develop a taste for killing. I dared not to open to any of you, just like I never dare open to anyone. I guess that was my mistake.

-You could've warned us! You could've prevented all of this!

-Do you think so? Think, Stiles - what could have I done? I was scared for my brother's life. I tried to make him leave, and he wouldn't listen. He said Scott needed us and he proved me right the day Scott begun his path into Alphaness when Isaac came back to him instead of running away.

-That's when?

-Yes.

Of course. It made sense. The whole Kanima business had made Scott take a more active role than he ever did when they were trying to get rid of Peter Hale.

-Then why didn't you help us?

-Deucalion was already here. Deucalion had moved in here and was there as well, the lacrosse game. Just like Alan and I saw, he saw it as well. A True Alpha rising.

Deucalion came after me and said that he needed me. I knew he was lying, all that he needed me for was to take my place as his emissary so he could kill me and unleash Lycaeon's curse again, but I saw it as an opportunity to buy time. If Scott was becoming an Alpha, he would need an emissary to keep him in check, and she had just lost her pack to Deucalion. Unlike Alan and I, she was a more active participant of the pack and to her it had been horrible to see the two sweet boys she loved like nephews become murderers.

-The twins.

-They couldn't bring themselves to kill her, so they staged her escape. But she knew that the next time she would see them they would be much more animalistic and kill her on the spot. Deucalion knew as well - why do you think he sent them to chase her and Isaac?

-That girl? That was Brayden?

-She was very good at physical activities.

They were in the middle of the forest now. The storm was raging, and Stiles knew he was driving out of instinct rather than visibility.

-Deucalion got there first. And as much as I wanted to help you more, I couldn't - Deucalion would know if I lied. When Brayden died I lost all hope, I thought that Scott will easily fall into his lap with no one to bring him back. Another mistake.

-Us. Me, Allison. Even Lydia.

-Exactly. That's why Deucalion went after Lydia and Danny - he wanted to be able to manipulate you from the outside. He didn't take in mind that Danny actually is not part of the mess, and Lydia loved Allison too much to be of any use to him. And just like him, I was unable to see that Scott already had an emissary.

-What?

-You, Stiles. You kept Scott human. Alan told me you were the one who taught him how to control his powers, and the one who managed to create most of the plans. You would advise him, you would counsel him, you would help him even beyond your capabilities. You would even do magic in order to protect Scott and the town of Beacon Hills at large.

It was impossible. Him, an emissary? Like Deaton? But Deaton knew all the stuff and was actually helpful and tried to make things right while he was just a teenager with ADHD trying to overreach all the possibilities and taking theories out of hats and leaping into conclusions out of straws of logic and it couldn't be! Not him!

-Quite the opposite, Stiles. Why do you think the Nemeton took your sacrifice?

-Because it was our parents, our guardians. Because we would act as surrogates.

-If it were that easy, Julia would've gone after any trio of parents. No, she needed real guardians, and she knew that you would sacrifice yourselves instead. A game of chess, remember? She was just moving pieces. You were always her true goal, and she even managed to get you to do her work. I'm surprised my brother didn't see it coming a mile away. Well, I didn't until I died, but he was always smarter than me.

It was true. When Scott had been bitten, he had taken a role to protect not only his best friend, but his family, and his town as well. That's why the Nemeton had used that night as a trial.

-And now she's a full Darach and will kill everybody in town, won't she?  
-If she lets vengeance consume her, yes.

-So I need to help Scott. But my dad... Will she still murder them?

-Yes, because she'll try to keep gaining power. Remember that power is an addiction: the more you have the more you crave.

-Oh my God what do I do, what do I do?

-You are connected to them now, Stiles. Use your connection!

Stiles knew what she meant. But he also knew the price.

It didn't matter.

He had slipped out of consciousness before the Jeep hit the tree.


	7. VI - Allison

-OK. Yeah, we are trying to, I'm still trying to pick up a scent but I can't find anything. But she's definitely attracted to something.

She could hear him behind her. They were trying to find out if Scott had heard from Stiles, because he wasn't picking up his phone, but from the way the conversation had derailed, it was obvious that Scott had already reached Deucalion. So she kept walking, pulled by that small thug that she could feel in her heart, the Nemeton was calling her and she was answering, step by step, wondering what she would find in the end. Was his father still alive? Scott's, Stiles'?

The storm just grew worse.

-Allison!

Isaac reached her. From the way he looked at her she thought that he had seen a ghost. Maybe she was becoming one. After a minute or two he decided he could not stay quiet anymore. How... Stiles of him.

-So, how was it? You know... being dead? Did you see your whole life in front of your eyes or something?

-No - she chuckled - Nothing like that. We saw the same moment, actually, from each of our perspectives. I saw myself with my mom, we were driving, and suddenly this boy appeared in the middle of the road. I had to yell at my mom to go back and look for him, it was hysterical. Anyways, we went back and he wasn't there anymore, and the only thing we found was this inhaler that my mom very conveniently decided to throw away. I wonder if he ever got it back?

-Who?

-Scott. He was the guy we almost hit.

-You are kidding me.

-No, I'm not. We realized the moment we woke up, that we were together somehow. That we are together somehow.

-Wow.

-Yeah. Wow.

They kept walking for a bit longer. The thug was much stronger now, and she almost wanted to start sprinting, but she was afraid she would be caught unaware of whatever horror was Ms. Blake hiding there. Better be cautious than dead, her mother had said to her once.

-Why that moment?

-What?

-You said that the three of you thought of the same moment? Why the moment when you almost ran over Scott?

-No, the moment was when Scott was bitten.

-What?

-Yeah... I mean, I didn't know until we were back, but it was true: that night, Scott and Stiles went looking for Laura Hale's body, and ended up with Stiles being picked up by his father and Scott being bitten by Peter. And my mom and I almost killed Scott when he appeared in the middle of the road. C'mon, we are really close.

-When Scott got bitten. Maybe it was the first time you guys were together or something?

There was a hinge of jealousy in there, and she couldn't help but smile. He had been alone for so long, he was envious that they had been friends for a while before they met him. But she knew the truth.

-No. It was a test, a trial. The Nemeton was seeing if we were true enough to our roles. True guardians, I guess, or at least true enough to substitute our parents. And I guess that moment was when we became guardians. Of Beacon Hills.

-But that's bull! It's not like you were offered with the option and said "Yeah!" or told "Here's what you gotta do now". Christ, you were thrown into this like hay to the fire, expected to be consumed at the end.

-I guess that's what makes us special. That we survived.

-That you survived, or that you've been shouldering because there's no other choice?

-There's always another option. We could've ignored it. Scott could've become an omega, or follow Peter, or killed himself. Stiles could've ignored it, or ran away.

What could she have done? Honestly, she didn't know, because she knew she would've never choosen another option. He smiled at her, understanding.  
Suddenly, his face changed. Had he picked up the scent?

-Allison, I hear something.

-What?

-It's an emmitter. It's one of your dad's. I can hear it now. Let's go!

-Not so fast! We don't know what is over there!

But he was already gone by the time she said that. So she ran after him, letting the thug guide her in the same direction the wolf was running. She didn't stop until she saw him getting close to a trap door that was less than a hundred yards from the stump where Stiles was standing.

-Stiles! You're here!

-What? Allison, what are you talking about, where's Stiles?

A quick look from the wolf told her that he couldn't see him, and a quick glance at the boy told her that something was very, very wrong.

-Stiles?

-Allison, listen to me. I don't know why, but I know that this storm will make the cellar cave in, so you need to get to my jeep and grab the sledgehammer and the bat that are there, together with Isaac's strength should be enough to hold the walls from falling completely over. You need to go grab them, that way you can save them. I need to go to Scott to make sure he doesn't lose his humanity to the curse.

-What? What do you mean? Stiles, where are you? Are you...?

-No, I'm not dead yet, but I will be - there's no time. Allison, please listen to me, I need you to save my father, and tell him I love him.

-Where are you? Stiles, please, answer me!

-You know where I am. Find my body and save our parents.

And with that the boy disappeared. Allison couldn't believe it - had it been a ghost? A hallucination?

-Allison, please!

Isaac brought her back to reality. He was trying to pry the door open - she just told him to rip it apart. They could hear the adults voices in there, but before Isaac could jump into the cellar she grabbed him and shouted that the cellar was about to cave in and they were going to get help. She could almost hear her father agreeing with her and immediately started to run to where she knew Stiles jeep was waiting for her - it was nearby, a bit more than a mile away. She thanked her father for teaching her to run through the woods in sneakers. As soon as they reached the jeep she got her phone out and started dialing 911 but stopped. There was a reason why Stiles hadn't mentioned the possibility, and she knew it - if she called 911 Scott's father would be onto them, and right now they couldn't afford it. So she directed Isaac to grab the stuff and run back to them, while she was trying to remember all of her parents' teachings about what to do in an accident.

-What have we said, Allison?

Her mother was there again, reminding her of what to do.

-If there's no immediate need to hide the body, we call 911.

-Is there any immediate need to hide the body?

-If Scott's dad sees us here he'll try to arrest us or at least will suspect of us. More than he already does. We can't risk him finding out about us.

-Is there any immediate need to hide the body?

No, there wasn't. And they could always worm their way out of the law - Gerard had told her about the very good lawyers the Argent family employed. So she took out her cellphone and dialed 911.

-911, what is your emergency?

-I need your help. I'm sending you two sets of coordinates, both of sites in the middle of Beacon Hills natural reserve. The first one leads to a root cellar where I know there are at least three persons trapped, my friend is trying to help them but I fear is gonna cave in. The second leads to a site approximately a mile from there - I'm with a boy, sixteen years old, he had an accident and ran his car into a tree. He's unconscious, but breathing, but he's bleeding from the head.

-OK, I need you to calm down and repeat me the coordinates.

She looked at her screen and gave her the GPS codes.

-OK, we are sending someone immediately. I need you to stay in the line. Are you hurt?

-No, I'm fine. It's just my friend here and I don't know about those in the cellar.

-There's help on the way - Parks and Rec will be there really soon. What is your name, sweetheart?

-I'm Allison.

-OK, Allison, I want you to... give me one second, Allison - she heard the line go mute. She knew what it meant - Allison? Allison Argent?

-Yes, Agent McCall.

Consequences be damned.


	8. VII - Scott

He knew it was a trap. Deucalion told him it was a trap, and he didn't need to be convinced of it. Yet here they were, driving to Derek's apartment. What other reason could Ms. Blake have to attack Lydia? No, she had forced her to scream, because she knew he could hear her. And he wouldn't ignore her, and Deucalion knew that and that's why he agreed to go to her. They even had to steal (temporarily borrow) a car in order to do so.

It was stupid. He didn't care.

Deucalion seemd to be taking everything very slowly. He barely spoke during the ride and seemed to be pondering the situation rather than freaking out like Scott was. At one point he opened his mouth to say something, but decided not to, and kept thinking. If Scott's nerves were not already breaking down because of the idea of losing his friend - and his family, since Allison and Isaac hadn't contacted him yet - he would've asked what was going on.

If it wasn't related to the emergency at hand, he didn't care.

He parked very badly in front of the building and wanted to sprint upstais. Deucalion, on the other hand, was taking his time, and when he moved his hand asking for support, Scott had to slow down and walk him to the elevator.

It was frustrating.

Not as frustrating as seeing Lydia huddled between Derek and Cora, with a still unconscious Peter in the floor. He wanted to run to them but he saw the thin black line in the floor. Mountain Ash. He also heard her laughter when she got in the way between him and Deucalion.

-I knew you would come, Scott. I knew you wouldn't resist trying to save your friend.

-Let them go, you have no quarrel with them!

-Word of the day, Scott?

He lunged at her. Obviously she was waiting for him - a flick of her wrist and he flew back. He waited to collapse onto the energy barrier of the mountain ash, but he didn't. He managed to land on his feet only to see the line of ash closing again. She had trapped him with everybody else.

His instinct made him go straight to Lydia and check if she was fine. Scared, and afraid, and maybe a bit too comfortable with the fact that he was hugging her, but she was fine. Derek and Cora were OK as well, stoic as always. He honestly didn't care about Peter.

Meanwhile, Deucalion had started clapping slowly, as if congratulating Ms. Blake. No, he was mocking her, and for a moment Scott saw a flicker of fear in her face.

-I have to say, you are good. Very good. Getting him and his friends to become the sacrifice to the Nemeton, making sure we wouldn't reach you until the lunar eclipse was upon us. If I had known the rock in my shoe that you would become I would have killed you myself. Probably saving some suffering from Kali, too.

-I'm honored. After all, I had to do all of this because of you.

-No, no, the honor is completely mine. But now, why don't we show your students why you needed to sacrifice fifteen innocent souls just to take me down?

-Sure - the same reason you wiped out five packs just to get back at Gerard Argent

Deucalion chuckled.

-Ready, my dear?

-Whenever you are, you monster.

They were both monsters, but he was the only one who seemed to have realized of the truth. He folded his cane neatly, removed his jacket and placed everything in the floor beside him. Then he howled, and when he finished, instead of the man there was a true demon wolf, a bipedal monster with snout, fur and red eyes. A creature that just by looking at it infused fear in Scott's heart.

Even behind the barrier Scott assumed a defensive position, protecting those who were part of his pack.

Deucalion and Ms. Blake started to fight, and even with all her magic Ms. Blake seemed to be having a hard time. She was more agile and limber, true, but the wolf was definitely stronger, and the shock waves she tried to create to keep him in line had no effect on him. She immediately switched strategies, using her magic in the objects around them rather than the demon, which at least gave her the slight advantage of keeping him occupied enough to let her think more.

Philosophers.

Deucalion, on the other hand, quickly understood that he had limited time and shouldn't let himself be distracted by anything. Whether it was a flying desk, shards of glass infused with wolfsbane and at one point the body of one of the twins he would dismiss everything and focus his efforts in reaching her. Whenever he could make a hit he would definitely gain a bit of an advantage but she would immediately recover and move aside to prevent him from gaining control of the situation.

It was a moving impasse.

But Jennifer was bidding for time, and sure enough, Deucalion started to lose power, to lose strength, to lose speed. Scott himself realized that it was harder to breathe, and he had to shuffle his feet to keep his defensive position.

He was feeling human. The eclipse was draining him of his powers. He looked to Derek and he nodded, because he knew. He looked back at the battle and saw Jennifer finally able to use her telekinesis on Deucalion and send him crashing onto the wall. When he tried to rise he was no longer a demon, but a blind man. A blind man who could not find his footing. A blind man who could not see the Darach that was coming to get him.

-Jennifer, stop!

Derek jumped from behind him and went straight to her. He was human, and the mountain ash wouldn't stop him now. He double backed when she looked at him, no longer a beautiful woman, but a scarred body in ragged robes. She saw his fear and that angered her more. But Derek still moved to her, still embraced her. And she looked at him.

-Jennifer. You don't have to do this.

-I have to! He doesn't know what he has caused! The pain, the suffering! He has to know!

-Then let him see. Let him see the price you paid. Let him see... how truly beautiful you are.

The Darach looked at him and understood. She put his hand over Deucalion eyes, and not a breath later he was screaming in agony, his eyes knitting themselves back to health. And he saw. He saw the Darach, the demon, the consequence of his actions. And Scott saw Deucalion show fear for the first time since he had met him, and he heard him scream in terror. Scott even felt Lydia recoil from his screams. The Darach grabbed his neck and snapped it. A mercy kill. A sweet revenge.

Then she started laughing. And crying. In Derek's arms. For a couple minutes they were just there and for a moment the nightmare seemed to be over. But when he tried to approach them, the eclipse was over and he was a werewolf again. A werewolf trapped in a circle of mountain ash.

-Kill me. Derek, kill me, please.

Scott couldn't believe his ears. She was asking to be killed.

-I've got what I wanted. Please, Derek, just kill me.

-No. I am a predator, but not a killer.

-KILL ME!

Her rage had pushed Derek away, but she was on her feet again and started attacking him. Scott immediately saw what was going on - she was lashing out, giving Derek a reason to kill her. But Derek wouldn't budge, looking at her and trying to reason with her. She wouldn't stop.

So Scott braced himself and tried to cross the barrier. He pushed, and thought of Stiles. Of Allison, Isaac, Lydia, Derek. He used all his strength and thought of his mom and the Sheriff and even of Allison's father. He pushed and thought that he could not let Derek die by her hands, because Derek was part of his pack until he rejected him.

His pack.

And a pack always needs an alpha.

And he moved forward and with a strength that he hadn't felt before he suddenly was able to break the barrier. Where there had been a line of ash now only dust remained. The energy of the barrier created a blast strong enough to get the Darach's attention, and with both fear and fascination she fell to her knees, exposing her neck, waiting for his claws to take her life away. He let his claws out and prepared to strike.

-Scott!

It was Stiles. He was standing in the doorway. There was something odd about him, like he wasn't complete. Like Scott was seeing him behind a movie lens, when they had the old people and they need them to look super young. Vaseline, was the effect called?

-Stiles.

-Scott, don't do it.

-She will kill Derek! What makes you think she won't kill all of us? She tried once!

-Scott, remember who you are. You are not a killer.

Scott looked at his best friend. It was true. He was not a killer - he was a guardian. That's why the Nemeton had given him his life back - because he was willing to die to protect. Not because he was willing to kill to protect. His claws retracted, his face relaxed, and he was just Scott again, looking at his English professor. She started to cry.

-Why? Why won't you kill me? I've got my revenge... I don't have anything to live for anymore.

Scott didn't know what to do, or say. It was Lydia who spoke up.

-Then atone. You paid your price, but you also cost us. Twelve murders. Twelve innocent lives. If you want to have something to live for, try living for those you killed. You were a druid once, to stop werewolves from being animals. Maybe you need to bring yourself from being an abomination. Your work is done.

Sobbing, Ms. Blake nodded. And Scott saw all the powers from her sacrifice abandon her, the spirits of those who had died at her hands finally resting in peace. She had to bear her scars, but the Nemeton at least allowed her to keep hew new face. He saw Derek commune with the spirit of a girl, who gave him a smile and then disappeared. Scott couldn't remember one time when Derek had been at such peace like that moment, when he went again to Ms. Blake and hugged her. Lydia and Cora held each other together and walked to them. But the one who wasn't there was Stiles.

-Lydia... that scream, from before.

-Yes, Scott. It was for Stiles. I screamed because I knew Stiles was going to die.


	9. VIII - Stiles

Everything felt so nice. His head was warm and stuffed of cotton, and his body was lying perfectly horizontal in a fluffy bed filled with feathers and sugar cotton and everything was fine and dandy.

Of course Stiles knew he was high as a kite. What he didn't know was why he was still alive, since he had given his life for a few minutes of ghost interaction with Allison and Scott. He was perfectly sure that Allison would not call 911 as to not alert Rafael of the fact that they had found their parents. Because Allison was a rational human being who would put logic and pragmatism before his own life.

No, of course she didn't. She called 911 and made Isaac save all of their parents. Which meant that now they had to deal with Rafael at some point. Hey, maybe Finstock was right and they were completely stupid.

Slowly and painfully he tried to open his eyes and at least move a finger or two. He didn't know the extent of the trauma he received because of the car accident and was afraid he may have lost more than just consciousness because of it. His vision was blurry but that was because his eyes were adjusting to the light and he could feel all ten fingers, although they were stiff as boards. He could also feel his throat dry, his voice raspy, and the weight of Scott on top of him when he was trying to hug him.

-Scott... breathing... breathing...!

Scott immediately let him go in order to go to the door screaming for his mom. His dad was scrambling himself together babbling questions about his health, and Allison, Lydia and Isaac were trying to make sure he was OK without overwhelming him. Even Derek and Cora were there, looming in the corner, brooding. As usual. Mrs. McCall entered the room and forced everybody to stand back while she checked his vitals, and for a moment he wanted to go to sleep again. He alerted Mrs. McCall and drifted away.

When he woke up again it was a very different story. The room was almost empty, only his dad and Scott asleep in the chairs. He didn't want to wake them up but wanted to drink a little water, so he clicked for the nurse and when he came in both males started fuzzing around him. He just took a sip of water, cleared his throat, told them he was fine and went back to sleep.

The third time he woke up he finally felt rested. And hungry. And no longer high.

-Dad, you need to shave.

The sheriff almost fell from his chair from the surprise. At that same moment Scott and Allison entered the room with coffe and they wanted to go hug him again, but his mouth had finally recovered his ability to babble non-stop. He asked if Scott's mom was going to take her vitals again and the Sheriff eyed him suspicious but went to get her.

As soon as they were alone he asked them if they felt like he did.

Like there was a shadow tugging at his heart.

They agreed.

Stiles told them that he felt it ever since they had woken up in the morgue, even when he was just a ghost wandering Beacon Hills. Neither Scott nor Allison had felt it at the time, but they assumed it was because of the emotional train wreck they had been going through. After settling down they both felt it, and it even compelled them to be nearby, and that's the reason why they were there in the first place. They hadn't felt that comfortable leaving him alone.

After Scott's mom had checked him he asked her when she could come back to her room so they could talk and Allison excused herself while she called her father. He even told Scott to contact Deaton, since he would also want to hear what he had to say. The Sheriff eyed them curiously but immediately understood that they were to come clean to them, that they just didn't want to repeat themselves. So for an hour he was just the dorky father Stiles loved and they joked and japed with Scott and Allison.

When Mr. Argent and Mrs. McCall entered the room and told them they had time, Stiles looked at his friends, and asked them what they had told them already. They had discussed Jennifer Blake and how she turned herself to the police. They had discussed Deucalion, Kali, the twins. Allison had discussed with them and Isaac about their rescue, and they ahd talked about Stiles being in the hospital after they had sent an helicopter to pick them up and take them to the ER.

He had been unconcious for 127 hours. For almost a week.

Scott told them about the fight, and how he had seen his spirit preventing him from killing Jennifer. Allison told them about seeing his ghost standing on top of the Nemeton. His own father finally told him the reason why he hadn't been with him when his mom had died, and how he had always clung to rationality when facing the supernatural. He asked him for forgiveness, and Stiles gave it to him immediately. He was his dad, he couldn't be angry at him.

Not after all that he had put him through.

Stiles begun with their sacrifice. All the parents were scandalized at Deaton for having even suggested it in the first place, and Mr. Argent took a position eerily similar to that of Finstock. Deaton didn't excuse himself or tried to defend himself, and they had to convince their parents that in the end it had been their decision. They had paid the price to try and prevent their death, even if it all had been Jennifer's strategy.

For a moment Stiles savored the fact that he was calling her by her first name. Her new first name, at least.

Then he told his story. He mentioned how he tried to get the police and was afraid of the FBI. How he had gone searching for aides at his house and found the ghost of Morrell. He told Deaton how his sister, even after dead, had complimented him about his intelligence, and insulted him about his lack of vision. Deaton smiled and cried, mourning his sister once more. He told his father how he realized he needed to help Scott and Allison one more time, and why he had taken the decision to do so.

He told Scott what Ms. Morrell had told him about himself.

Deaton agreed almost immediately, but seemed a bit surprised about the idea. There weren't that many documented cases about True Alphas, and he couldn't recall any that didn't rise from a preexisting pack or from when a pack was assembled from disabanded betas and omegas, where one of those could bring their own emissary. So, an emissary risen from a true friend was possible, but even rarer than a true alpha.

That made him feel special. And he was being completely sarcastic about that thought.

He finished and let them talk among themselves. Mr. Argent wanted to ask him about his experience as a ghost while Mrs. McCall wanted to confront both him and Scott about the idea of sacrifing themselves.

His father, on the other hand, started enumerating ways to ground him.

He let him talk. He even chuckled at Mrs. McCall planning common grounding systems for him and Scott, and how even Mr. Argent had decided to help them while grounding Allison as well. Apparently being stuck in a root cellar for a couple days turned them into best friends or something because they came with a whole system for the following weeks.

He was just glad to be alive.

They left him rest again. Even Scott and Allison left so they could catch some sleep.

Stiles didn't like that idea.

For the first time in a long time, Stiles didn't want to be alone.

The darkness in his heart rejoiced in the loneliness.


	10. Epilogue

She looked at the mirror again.

She didn't feel ugly anymore. The scars were there, but they were not a reminder of Kali's betrayal or the quest for vengeance she had gone through. Now they were a reminder of Derek and Scott, even a reminder of Lydia, and how they had found it in themselves to give her a second chance.

She no longer felt empty. She hadn't woken up in the middle of the night questioning why she just didn't kill herself for a while now.

Her cell was small, yes, but at least she had it all for herself. They never assigned her a partner and she wondered if the scars were the reason. Or the fact that she still had the aura of the Darach, now that the virgins sacrifice had abandoned her. Or maybe it was just the old Hale money.

Derek wrote to her once a week. At first she thought he did it out of pity, but then she realized he did it out of kindred. He had killed Paige, and he had killed Peter, so he knew a thing or two about vengeance and murder. She missed him. She had fallen for him, even if he hadn't - if it had all been part of her plan. Or maybe he did, but she had betrayed him and they couldn't be anything more than pen pals. She felt herself lucky for his letters, for him telling her about her travels with Cora, looking for the institution where Laura had to intern her after the psychotic breakdown she suffered after the fire, and how Derek had blocked the events from his memories. They were finding each other again, remembering times when everything was easier. She remembered meeting the famous Talia Hale once, and she knew they were going to be alright.

Still, she was grateful that he kept writing to her.

Scott had written to her once, trying to check on her and asking her if she was going to escape from prison and come killing everybody in his pack. As a response, she had sent him a book list and asked him to write essays about those books.

He had just sent her the fourth one: Crime and Punishment. She found joy in the fact that he hadn't given up on her.

She wrote to the families of those she had sacrificed. She wanted to do it and asked the prison's psychologist if it could help her in her path to atonement. The psychologist had been surprised at the idea, and encouraged it, even if the letters were never sent. She allowed herself to pour out apologies, explanations, even excuses. It had never been about them, it had always been about her, and it felt good to let it all out. To understand the selfishness of vengeance.

At some point she was sad that the psychologist was ethically bound not to have a relationship with any of the inmates. She looked like a good fuck.

The four letters that she did send because she already knew the addresses were to the four that had survived her.

Chris Argent never replied. She was not surprised.

Lydia Martin replied with a drawing of the Nemeton, and a set of questions about what she was. She answered as truthfully as she could, but never heard from her again.

Melissa McCall had sent her a letter where she called her several things, the least insulting of them a bitch, and hoped to never see her again. With Scott's latest essay there had been a box of home baked cookies.

The Sheriff had actually visited her one day. It had been the only visit she had received in the thirteen months she had been incarcerated. They spent the time talking about her motivations, about what werewolves were, how they functioned, and what were the roles of emissaries. She felt that he was particularly interested in the subject, and couldn't help but wonder why.

That had been the only time he had heard from him, and she didn't push it. They all knew where to find her. She didn't have any plans to escape, but she wondered how long will her imprisonment be.

For life sounded like a long time.

She was let out of her cell and she went straight to the library. She spent most of her time reading, as it was an activity that she could do alone, and most of the other prisoners would not bother her. She would also write, putting down in words all the memories she had from all the lives she had stolen once. Julia's. Paige's. The philosophers. The healers. Every once in a while she would engage in shadow fighting and kata practicing, to keep her body nimble and agile, memories of warriors and guardians in her mind.

It had been in the library where they had found her. She had begun to draw, something she hadn't done in a while. She tore the page and carried the drawing with her, trying to make sense of it, when she sat down and looked at her visitor.

-Jennifer.

-Hello, Stiles.

She was surprised to see him. He looked tired, rugged. Like he had gone through hell a couple times. Well, she had given him the tickets there once.

-How are you?

-Me? Alive, and that's as good as I can ever be. You?

-I'm alive, I guess. Learning about myself.

-Feeling remorse?

-Every day.

-Atoned?

-Not yet. Probably not ever.

-Good, good.

Maybe it was that she hadn't seen him in a while, but he looked different. She remembered a boy who had been eager to find out what was going on, but even more eager to stop it not for the glory but because it was the right thing to do. To guard, to protect, to defend. Now what she had in front of her was a tired man, barely holding himself together, too many battle scars on his back. As a matter of fact, there were scars on his face, not as prominent as hers but there nonetheless.

The bandages in her hands constricted his movements. She could even see some of them peeking out of the collar of his shirt.

But she knew. The Nemeton had decided they were the true guardians of Beacon Hills and awoken to its full power. Surely, the place was a Hellmouth by now. And Scott's pack was in the middle of it.

-Stiles, why are you here?

-We need you. I need you. I am Scott's emissary, and I'm still not well versed in all that I need to know regarding the ancient arts.

That explained the Sheriff's curiosity. Of course he would try and understand what his son was becoming, and if he would become a mass murderer just like her. She asked him who was training him so far and why they wouldn't do it anymore.

She knew the moment she saw his face. The pain, the sadness, the anger.

-Dr. Deaton is dead. Will you help me?

She smiled. Maybe it was time for her to penance for her sins after all. So she prayed. She prayed to her old gods. She prayed to her old victims. That they would help her help these children. That they would help her begin her penance finally. And she heard them, in the voice of the girl whose face she had borrowed, Paige, agree.

Stiles stepped back, feeling the rush of power cracking the glass.


	11. Author's notes

Hello Everyone!

Thanks for sticking with this little story that came out of my head as soon as I finished watching this season's finale, Lunar Ellipse. I have to say this is how I always envisioned the season was going to end, because of both the way all the characters were written as well as their interactions. I never saw the twins surviving or Deucalion for that matter, and I always thought Jennifer had a better chance for redemption.

As you can see from the epilogue, I do have more in hand! First of all, this jump is an _In Media Res_ kind of situation - I am not just jumping thirteen months and have everything already set up. I'm getting there. However, it doesn't make sense to bring Jennifer until that point, and I needed to give her character closure at this moment. Ergo, the jump. Besides, the scene was too cool not to write it down (yes, it's ripped off from Angel. Because Jennifer is as awesome as Faith).

The next fic in the series is called After the Darkness. It's a collection of one-shots of several characters and their own aftermaths of the situation. All but one are non-POV from this fic.

After that, I am writing what will be an AU 3B, based on where this left off. I have the final fic of that written down, but the road has to be better than the destination and that's where I am tripping. I'm trying to make it between four and six fics similar to Lunar Ellipse, so it is a lot of writing ahead of me. Therefore, updating will be a bit less frequent than right now. However, I can promise it will contain a lot more Lydia, Danny, and the parents. And more sourwolves.

Once more, and with feelings: THANK YOU.

I hope you keep reading my little stories until the plot bunnies are fed enough.

Until the next one!


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